How Do You Change Faiths?

[SpiritSong]

I want to return to my original faith, the one I joined when I first became a Christian. I left it because I was told lies about it. I now know the truth, and I want to return.

The church I am presently a member of has no clue that this ever happened to me or that I am on my way back to the original faith and am leaving them. I just don't know how to go about letting them know.

I don't have any problem with the church I have been attending all these years, it is just that I feel it was wrong for me to have been lied to about my original church by another church not related to any of the above. Long story....

What I want to know is, how do I go about this? Do I have a conference with the pastor of the church I am leaving? Do I write a short note and ask that it be printed in the following church bulletin? Do I just quietly slip away? Or...?

 

[tampasteve]

It really depends on your relationship with the church, if you are active, on personal terms with people there that might need to make arrangements for your leave. I feel that having something printed in the bulletin might be over the top. I would say that either a conversation with the pastor or simply slipping away is the best option.

 

[“Paisios”]

I want to return to my original faith, the one I joined when I first became a Christian. I left it because I was told lies about it. I now know the truth, and I want to return.

The church I am presently a member of has no clue that this ever happened to me or that I am on my way back to the original faith and am leaving them. I just don't know how to go about letting them know.

I don't have any problem with the church I have been attending all these years, it is just that I feel it was wrong for me to have been lied to about my original church by another church not related to any of the above. Long story....

What I want to know is, how do I go about this? Do I have a conference with the pastor of the church I am leaving? Do I write a short note and ask that it be printed in the following church bulletin? Do I just quietly slip away? Or...?

I recently became Greek Orthodox, so had to leave my previous church. I had been very active and the youth group leader in our parish, so I approached my pastor early on in the course of my decision making process, and let him know of my thoughts and concerns. When I made the final decision to leave, I approached him first in person and informed him, announced it in church (it was a very small parish), and then wrote a more formal letter to my pastor, our bishop and the diocesan youth group coordinator. If I had not been the youth group leader, I would probably have skipped the formal letter.

I don’t know if that helps at all, but that was my approach.

 

[GodsGrace101]

I agree with @tampasteve .

You could just leave and if called say that you're checking out another church -- which is true.

When I left my last church (because I had to) I just started going there less and less and told my friends there what was going on and then eventually I just never showed up again. I was never contacted by any church leader.

I'm so nosey to know what church you're going back too, but I won't ask.

The reason I wonder is because I hear a lot of misunderstood and incorrect statements about the CC on these boards -- but I'm not here to protect them.

 

[Chris V++]

I've known Christians who attend more than one church. You don't necessarily have to cut ties with the Methodists completely, unless official membership in your new church requires it.

 

[Albion]

tampasteve is offering some good advice. I would only want to add that there is no particular reason to say anything to the pastor or people of the current parish.

The pastor certainly knows that people move back and forth between churches these days, even if he regrets the loss of any member and would be available for a consultation if you were uncertain about making the move (which you appear not to be). But I would speak frankly with the pastor of the new church before making any move, however.

 

[com7fy8]

I want to return to my original faith, the one I joined when I first became a Christian. I left it because I was told lies about it. I now know the truth, and I want to return.

Even if people told you lies about the group, this does not automatically mean the group is right.

We need "faith working through love," our Apostle Paul does say, in Galatians 5:6. So, what matters is how much people have helped you to grow in Jesus and learn how to relate in His love. If lies were enough to fool you away from your first place, I am concerned about how much the people you knew there were sound examples who were helping you get real correction so we can obey our calling in Jesus >

"And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful." (Colossians 3:15)

"And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma." (Ephesians 5:2)

"with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love." (Ephesians 4:2)

We need people who are examples of this, to share with us and help us grow in personally submitting to how God our Heavenly Father rules each of us in His own peace, while we learn how to relate in His gentle and humble love.

So, it is not enough to hang out with a group that you feel has right beliefs and practices. We need our "examples to the flock" (1 Peter 5:3) who personally feed us their example > 1 Timothy 3:1-10. And we need others, too, who are sample-examples of how we become in God's love > people who know us personally, so they can see through us and help us get real correction.

So, in case you really had people like this in your former setting, I think it would be hard to get away from such people, no matter what anybody said. And why would you now leave people who have been helping you like this, where you are? I am sure ones like this would be glad to keep sharing with you, even if you are not in their church place.

So, yes we need right doctrine and practice, but this will be with right and Biblical example people. Notice how Paul says the Thessalonians became "examples" > 1 Thessalonians 1:7. This includes in our character and how we relate in love while personally submitting to how our Father rules us in His peace, as our basic Christian calling.

So, I would not leave anyone who is helping you with this. This is about sharing as family with whoever are God's people, after all You don't just leave family.

 

[Of the Kingdom]

I want to return to my original faith, the one I joined when I first became a Christian.

I sincerely hope your "faith" is 100% in the Lord Jesus, Messiah. So changing the congregation you worship with should not be a change in your faith, but a move toward better conforming to the understanding the Holy Spirit has given you about how to worship in the best way.

I would suggest letting a few of your friends at the old church know you are moving. You might consider attending each of the churches a few times, and see how it goes. That would naturally lead to questions from your friends about the weeks you are absent.'

My greatest concern is that some will care more about you attending "their" church than whether you are following Christ's plan for your life. You may wish to avoid most of this as it can be unpleasant, but if you are up front about your intentions you will probably increase your understanding about the strengths and weaknesses of both congregations.

May God bless you richly as you seek to conform your life to His desires.

 

[SpiritSong]

Well, the church where the lies were told to me was a non-denominational church in Florida. I am now in North Carolina. (Both places in the USA). The original church that I first joined was also in Florida. They taught me a confirmation class and loved me and took good care of me. The people at the church who told me lies were a former member of the church I want to return to now and the women's ministry leader. They both claimed to know the "truth" about the church I had joined. They were both wrong, as I learned recently. I have spoken briefly with the pastor of the church that I want to return to. I have also prayed with him about it all. His church has been most welcoming and loving to me, also has taught me a lot. The sermons are chocked full of Scripture, whereas the church I have been attending only quotes one short passage of Scripture each Sunday during the sermon. I have prayed all about this, will be praying more too. So far, to my knowledge, God is saying to go to the church I originally joined that also has a church here in the town I moved to. I also feel a strong repulsion spiritually when I think of staying at this church I have been attending for several years. However they have done nothing wrong to my knowledge. They have treated me kindly and lovingly. It just may be that I am ready for a more Scriptural walk now than I was when I first moved here. Or it may be something else, I don't know for sure exactly what moves me to change, I just feel the urge to do so.

 

[Knee V]

I have changed churches a few times. There are times when I did so very much the wrong way, and times that I did it the right way (or at least in a way that I perceive to be the right way). It always worked out best when I established contact with the pastor of the church I was going to attend and visited a few times, then had a frank and respectful discussion with the pastor of the church that I was leaving.

 

[Happygal]

Almost everyone here was born as Christian, but, am not, I was born in a Taoist family and it was my friend prayer over 10years, that I decided to go Church with her